Friday, July 6, 2012

It looks as if the end is finally here for Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church on East 12th Street near Avenue A.

Rumors of development here have been swirling since 2008, when The Real Dealreported that two-thirds of the playground space along Avenue A had been sold in an all-cash deal for $10.4 million. That deal never materialized.

Some four years later, the Church and adjacent school are still standing. In the past 24 hours, we've heard from multiple people that the church has been sold.

According to one parishioner:

Sadly, this does not seem to be a false alarm. Hearing consistent reports that the church and school property have been sold, but absolutely no info on developer's identity or plans.

The parishioners are still praying for a miracle as they say the rosary every evening at the church. I'm sure they would appreciate community support.

There is still a Spanish-language mass at the church every Sunday morning at 11:30. And there's always still hope...

Meanwhile, this is roughly the area of development that we're talking about... the church, adjacent school and rectory, and playground where vendors set up for the weekend flea markets... (the three buildings on the southwest corner of 12th Street and Avenue A aren't owned by the Archdiocese...)

[Via Off the Grid]

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and other community groups submitted a request to the Landmarks Preservation Commission asking them to landmark the church. The LPC denied the request. (Read about that here.)

Horrifying and heartbreaking, and I can only imagine what will replace these beautiful old buildings that are so in synch with their surroundings. Once again the Landmarks Destruction Committee doesn't even bother to step up to the plate before striking out.

Autonomous:I agree. Since we seem to be assuming a worst-case scenario here (although I have no idea what zoning restrictions exist), a major development on the site would transform the avenue in a very bad way. The loss of sunlight and sense of openness that the playground provides is irreplaceable. Then there is the major, concentrated influx of residents who may not have much knowledge of or respect for the neighborhood’s history.

nice. now they can make an amazing glass building where stinky yuppie hippies can stare at the skyline with a really serious look and further vaccuum the world.onward and upward, there is still more to devour.

I was just sitting on those steps pictured this past Sunday night and it felt like a reminder of why I still love the EV, because lately I have felt like the proverbial stranger in a strange land 24/7, plus all my friends have left. Now this. Those steps mean a lot to me for reasons I won't bore anyone with.

The interior of the church pictured on one of the links is really lovely and it is hard to believe it has no protections- It's sad that even churches are not sacred ground. I question why the parish is selling to developers in the first place- helping to destroy their own parish (sacrificial lambs and all that?) Sad sad sad

This is a wild guess, but I predict that developers will build a giant glass tower here with ground floor retail space hosting an artisanal cheese shop, a Pilates studio and a new Blue & Cream outpost.

its just another Catholic church to me, but the flea market is why I even venture back to the olde neighborhood on the weekends, its like a real community in there believe it or not, all the old punks go to buy clothes and vinyl, bikers go to get tools and parts, there's always food, and many deals to be had. I understand that the reason the parcel has not been developed is because it used to be a graveyard at 11th and A, so its a hassle for owners to go through all the red tape on that...

...most of my furniture is from that flea market...as are most of my clothes...dishes...well, you get the point.* I guess now The Salvation Army store on 4th Avenue between 11th and 12th Street is gonna be the new hot spot.

@Anon 9:17 - the parishioners have nothing to do with the sale of this church and other parcels. They belong to the Catholic Church, which is sorely in need of funds since they have had to pay so many child molestation lawsuits. The Church sees this not as holy ground, not as an intrinsic part of the neighborhood, to them it's nothing but a cash cow. (And I speak as a lapsed Catholic.)

The Flea should be open for July and Aug. then when the deal closes then so will the flea. They need to find another space..the community is strong and always survives. I love these people..they are the soul of the LES. We've seen it all and here it comes around again!!!just sayin..Melanie

I've live in the East Village for 20 years. 15 of those years I've lived on 12th and A. The flea market is one of the many reasons that I have been so proud to live in this neighborhood for so long. I have found many cool things there over the years. This pisses me off so much I can barely get my thoughts in order to type them here.

All I can say is that when I came to NYC in 1986 and then to live as a resident in the EV in 1993 I came to the area because of what it was not because of what I wanted it to be. It already was what I wanted it to be because it was original and unique. Why these developer motherfuckers constantly want to ruin things is beyond me. Yeah I know...'real estate'. It's a fucking broken record already. Fuck 'real estate' and fuck the developers and new tenants that just continue to take one big giant shit all over this place.

Glamma, while horrible, an NYU dorm maybe wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing, if it was sufficiently big and it meant that these kids would stop moving into tenements and we could have our buildings back.

The worst thing might be a luxury high-rise, because it will completely change the entire neighborhood overnight and all the buildings we live in will soon be torn down or going condo.

This is so sad. This church is the real deal. The nuns and priest would give you their last piece of bread and the shirt off their backs. The Archdioese really dropped the ball on this one. The EV doesn't need another overpriced building that sticks out like a sore thumb. MHC is a church, a place of refuge and peace. That should be respected. I grew up in the EV and seriously I curse the day gentrification creeped in. It used to be a real neighborhood and now it's a hipster haven.

When you have commenters such as 8:40 AM and 2:59 PM celebrating the closing of this, then the East Village is truly dead.

"It generates so much trash that bins are overflowing on all the corners." I guess they prefer the trash that the suburbanites, fratboys and Carrie Bradshaw wannabes leave behind, and the noise that they bring. She must like 16 Handles. What about the trash at St. Mark's Church that these fro-yo lovers bring. But it's fro-yo. Mfers.

Thrillist: The Best NYC Neighborhood Blogs 2017

Named one of the best NYC Neighborhood blogs in 2016

Named Best Local Website New York 2014 by The Village Voice

Named one of the Essential NYC neighborhood blogs 2014

By the way

Here, you'll find things that you may or may not be interested in about the East Village and other parts of New York City. Appreciating what's here while it's still here. Remembering what's no longer here. Wishing some things weren't here that are here.

We love tips

Have a story idea or tip about something happening in the East Village? Or maybe a photo? Or several photos? Or video! We'd love to hear about it. Or see it. Or something. Please go here to submit a tip.

EVG on Instagram

Named Best Neighborhood Blog in the First Annual Village Voice Web Awards